Belfast Recovery College

About the Recovery College

Recovery College offers a range of free courses that are available for anyone with an interest in mental health and wellbeing including: service users, family members and staff.

Creating and delivering courses together using the combined expertise of mental health professionals and peer trainers with real life experience, breaks down traditional barriers and allows people to learn together to inspire hope, opportunity and control in an individual’s personal recovery journey.

We follow three key principles:

HOPE – continuing presence of hope that it is possible to pursue one’s goals and ambitions.

CONTROL – the need to maintain a sense of control over one’s life and one’s symptoms.

OPPORTUNITY – the importance of having the opportunity to build a life beyond illness.

“Recovery is about discovering or re-discovering a sense of personal identity, separate from illness or disability.” (Shepherd., Boardman, J.& Slade, M. 2008)

At the Recovery College students have the opportunity to discover who they are, learn skills and tools to promote recovery, find out what they can be, and realise the unique contribution they have to offer. They can see how others have found a way forward and that they can have more control over their life.